### §2656d. Responsibilities of Secretary of State

#### (a) Coordination and oversight over science and technology agreements between United States and foreign countries, etc.

(1) In order to implement the policies set forth in section 2656b of this title, the Secretary of State (hereafter in this section referred to as the "Secretary") shall have primary responsibility for coordination and oversight with respect to all major science or science and technology agreements and activities between the United States and foreign countries, international organizations, or commissions of which the United States and one or more foreign countries are members.

(2) In coordinating and overseeing such agreements and activities, the Secretary shall consider (A) scientific merit; (B) equity of access as described in section 2656c(b) of this title; (C) possible commercial or trade linkages with the United States which may flow from the agreement or activity; (D) national security concerns; and (E) any other factors deemed appropriate.

(3) Prior to entering into negotiations on such an agreement or activity, the Secretary shall provide Federal agencies which have primary responsibility for, or substantial interest in, the subject matter of the agreement or activity, including those agencies responsible for—

(A) Federal technology management policies set forth by Public Law 96–517 and the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 [15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.];

(B) national security policies;

(C) United States trade policies; and

(D) relevant Executive orders,

with an opportunity to review the proposed agreement or activity to ensure its consistency with such policies and Executive orders, and to ensure effective interagency coordination.

#### (b) Long-term contracts, grants, to obtain studies, etc., with respect to application of science and technology to foreign policy

The Secretary shall, to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into long-term contracts, including contracts for the services of consultants, and shall make grants and take other appropriate measures in order to obtain studies, analyses, and recommendations from knowledgeable persons and organizations with respect to the application of science or technology to problems of foreign policy.

#### (c) Long-term and short-term contracts, grants, to train officers and employees in application of science and technology to problems of foreign policy

The Secretary shall, to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into short-term and long-term contracts, including contracts for the services of consultants, and shall make grants and take other appropriate measures in order to obtain assistance from knowledgeable persons and organizations in training officers and employees of the United States Government, at all levels of the Foreign Service and Civil Service—

(1) in the application of science and technology to problems of United States foreign policy and international relations generally; and

(2) in the skills of long-range planning and analysis with respect to the scientific and technological aspects of United States foreign policy.

#### (d) Detached service for graduate studies

In obtaining assistance pursuant to subsection (c) in training personnel who are officers or employees of the Department of State, the Secretary may provide for detached service for graduate study at accredited colleges and universities.

#### (e) Grants and cooperative agreements related to science and technology fellowship programs

#### (1) In general

The Secretary is authorized to make grants or enter into cooperative agreements related to Department of State science and technology fellowship programs, including for assistance in recruiting fellows and the payment of stipends, travel, and other appropriate expenses to fellows.

#### (2) Exclusion from consideration as compensation

Stipends under paragraph (1) shall not be considered compensation for purposes of section 209 of title 18.

#### (3) Maximum annual amount

The total amount of grants made pursuant to this subsection may not exceed $2,000,000 in any fiscal year.

(Pub. L. 95–426, title V, §504, Oct. 7, 1978, 92 Stat. 983; Pub. L. 97–241, title V, §505(a)(2), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 299; Pub. L. 100–418, title V, §5171(d), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1453; Pub. L. 117–81, div. E, title LIII, §5303, Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2361; Pub. L. 117–263, div. I, title XCII, §9203, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3864.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### References in Text

Public Law 96–517, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), is Pub. L. 96–517, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3015, which enacted sections 200 to 211 and 301 to 307 of Title 35, Patents, amended section 1113 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, sections 101 and 117 of Title 17, Copyrights, sections 41, 42, and 154 of Title 35, and sections 2186 and 5908 and former section 2457 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and enacted provisions set out as notes under sections 13 and 41 of Title 35. Section 2457 of Title 42 was repealed and restated as section 20135 of Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs, by Pub. L. 111–314, §§3, 6, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3328, 3444. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1980 Amendment note set out under section 41 of Title 35 and Tables.

The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), is Pub. L. 96–480, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2311, which is classified generally to chapter 63 (§3701 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 3701 of Title 15 and Tables.

#### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 117–263 substituted "$2,000,000" for "$500,000".

2021—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 117–81 added subsec. (e).

1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–418 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: "In order to implement the policy set forth in section 2656b of this title, the Secretary of State (hereafter in this section referred to as the 'Secretary') shall have primary responsibility for coordination and oversight with respect to all major science or science and technology agreements and activities between the United States and foreign countries, international organizations, or commissions of which the United States and one or more foreign countries are members."

1982—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97–241 struck out subsec. (e) which provided that not later than Jan. 20, 1979, the Secretary transmit to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, a report on the implementation of his responsibilities under this title, which report was to include an assessment of the personnel required in order to carry out such responsibilities, existing and planned programs for research and analysis to support long-range planning for the application of science and technology to foreign policy, existing and planned programs for training officers and employees of the United States Government pursuant to subsec. (c) of this section, and existing and planned programs to enter into long-term contracts with academic and other organizations for assistance in training and in obtaining studies, analyses, and recommendations with respect to the application of science or technology to problems of foreign policy.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Multilateral Agreement Governing Use of Nuclear-Powered Satellites

Pub. L. 95–426, title VI, §608, Oct. 7, 1978, 92 Stat. 988, as amended by Pub. L. 97–241, title V, §505(a)(2), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 299, provided that:

"(a) The Congress finds that—

"(1) no international regime governs the use of nuclear-powered satellites in space;

"(2) the unregulated use of such technology poses the possibility of catastrophic damage to human life and the global environment; and

"(3) this danger has been evidenced by mishaps encountered, despite certain precautions, by nuclear-powered satellites of both the United States and the Soviet Union.

"(b) It is therefore the sense of the Congress that the United States should take the initiative immediately in seeking a multilateral agreement governing the use of nuclear-powered satellites in space.

"(c) [Repealed. Pub. L. 97–241, title V, §505(a)(2), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 299.]"